Improvement in truss-pads



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. A. SCHNEIDER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRUSS-PADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,167, dated January 14, 1862.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. A. SCHNEIDER, of the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, State of Ohio, have invented an Improved Truss; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l represents my adjustable padplate and pad, together with the body-spring. Fig. 2 represents a pad-plate and pad provided with an additional adjustment.

A is the leather covering of the body-sprin g B of my improved truss. A sliding piece C is slipped on the end of the body-spring and may be secured in any suitable position by means of a set-screw D. Eyes I project from the under edge of piece C, and the upper corners of the pad-plate (G, Fig. I, and G G Fig. 2) are provided with similar eyes E, and a pin J, passing through the eyes I E, serves to hinge the pad-plate to the piece C in such a manner that the plate can swing backward and forward. A spiral spring F -is wound around the part of pin J between the eyes I I. The outer ends P P of the spring, as represented in Fig. l, are bent upward and rest against the front surface of the piece C, while the middle part I-I of the spring extends downward and projects through a recess R in the pad-plate and bears with its lower end against the front surface of the padplate. This spiral spring maybe arranged as represented in Fig. 2, so that one end P of it bears against plate C, while the other end P bears against the pad-plate, thereby dispensing with the extension H and recess R above described. In this manner the pad (attached to the padplate as hereinafter described) is allowed to swing around the hinge-pin J, so as to yield to every motion of the body, and yet it will always bear against the body with a uniform pressure corresponding to the tension of the spiral spring F., However, the object of my invention is to give to the truss-pad more adjustability and adaptability to the body of the person wearing it than what could be obtained by the mere combination of a hinged pad-plate and spiral spring, such as described. For this purpose the pad-plate G is provided with a vertical slot L, and the back of the pad N is provided with a similar slot M. A clamp-screw O passes through both slots L and M. On loosening the clamp-screw O the oval pad N can be placed in such a relative position to both the vertical center line of the pad-plate and to the body-spring as to exactly bear against the proper parts-of the body of the patient. Vhen thus placed in the most suitable position by means of the great adj ustability of which the combination of the two slots L M admits, the pad is fastened to the pad-plate by tightening the clampscrew O.

Another and very important adjustment is provided by making the pad-plate in two parts G G', as represented in Fig. 2. Apivot U extends from the part G up through the collar V, projecting from the part G of the pad-plate, so that the part G of the pad-plate can be turned on said pivot to the right or left, thus causing the pad-plate and pad to bear obliquely. Flanges W Z project from the parts G G,respectively, the upper flangeWbeing provided with a semicircular slot through which a clamp-screw Y works into a female screw in the lower flange Z. By means of this clamp-screw it will be seen that the part G of the pad-plate can be secured in any of the oblique positions in which it may be placed by turning it on the pivot U, as above set forth. This oblique adjustment is a very important one, as will readily be understood by professional persons.

All the adjustments, it will be noticed, can be eected without taking o the truss, and therefore this truss can be made to fit the body of the patient with less difliculty than a truss which must be taken off for the purposes'of adjustment.

On loosening the set-screw D the piece C, together with the padplate and pad, can be withdrawn from the body-sprin g and replaced in a reversed position, so as to change the truss from a left-side truss to a right-side one, and vice versa, if desirable.

Having described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A truss consisting of a slotted pad N and a pad-plate made of aslotted paxbGalld apzut pad attached to the pad-plate to bem ob- G, in combination with a sliding piece C, 1iquely,as above set; forth.

binde J J and spiral sprinGEWhen the parts Y T 1 arermnged in relation to eleh other as above J A' bouh EIDER' [L' S'] seb forth. Witnesses:

2. A pad-plate made n two parts G G', the E. HESSENMUELLER,

part G being adjustable, so as to cause the G. P. SCHNEIDER. 

